ITALIAN FOOD UNDER THE STARS

19/06/2018

“Italian food is an experience in tradition, continuity and development,” Pellegrino Artusi used to say. And the very first Notte Bianca del Cibo Italiano (Italian Food Under the Stars), to be held on 4th August, the date of his birth, will be dedicated in fact to the legendary writer, food expert and literary critic himself. The initiative, announced by the former Ministers for Culture and Tourism and Food and Agriculture and Forestry Policies Dario Franceschini and Maurizio Martina during the presentation of the programme of the 2018 Year of Italian Food – a 12-month long national exhibition dedicated to Italian food and wine – will see piazzas throughout Italy fill with people for one night of public and private activities dedicated to one of the founding values of Italian identity. A huge event that will involve the entire country simultaneously and, above all, represent a great opportunity to discover Italy’s infinite resources in food and wine: dishes, ingredients, menus, traditions, food cultural experiences and much much more. The Notte Bianca del Cibo Italiano aims to reveal how much food and wine is an innate part of Italians’ identities and further explain its history and territory. And to interpret this value from the tourism and economy – and cultural, of course – viewpoint, so that food becomes a point of prestige and growth for the country. The spotlight will therefore shine, above all, on that special brand of ‘Italian-style living’ that attracts visitors from all over the world, promoted through the food districts: a new form of territorial organisation set up to support activities in individual areas while allowing free communication between them.